Giacomo Puccini's Tosca, which premiered in Rome in 1900, is one
of the most popular operas in the repertory. Based on Victorien
Sardou's play La Tosca, the enduring tale of love, lust, jealousy,
and politics takes place in the specific setting and time of the
Eternal City in June 1800, and draws on the historical events
following the fall of the Roman republic.

In this extraordinary collection, distinguished musicologists,
historians, theater professionals, and luminaries of the operatic
stage reflect on three diverse moments of European history—1800,
1900, 2000—through the refracting prism of Puccini's Tosca,
providing multidimensional images of each period from a wide range
of perspectives.